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Hey everybody, and welcome to another episode of sports prep live, prep live, where we unbox the mic and talk excellence in athletics.

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Welcome back to sports prep live. I'm your host, Greg and Prescott. Today I'm joined by a fellow media personality. She's the sideline reporter for Bishop Gorman, sports, a successful volleyball player and a great student as well. Sutton soft is here on Sports prep live. Welcome to the show Sutton. It's great to have you. Hi. Great. And thank you so much for having me today. So you are a volleyball player, as well as a sideline reporter for the sports at Gorman. And one of the reasons I was interested in having you on the show was your unique perspective as both an athlete and as a media personality. Tell me what got you started on sports reporting? And when did it become a passion of yours? So as a kid, I always just grew up watching sports every Sunday and my family's like the designated Sports Day. So we'll always sit and watch dinner, eat dinner while we watch sports. And I just grew up being so inspired by Erin Andrews and Jenny Taft. And I actually was influenced by one of my mentors, Susie Gergich. Her dad was actually

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UNLV basketball coach. Okay, wow. Yeah. And we were just kind of talking about the different opportunities at Gorman. And we really sat down and from her kind of first step, I just kind of laid out the whole idea and presented it to my teacher. So it was your idea to be a sideline reporter and not someone else's idea coming to you. Yeah. Wow. That's super interesting. Um, Gorman, of course, has a number of sports programs. And more than most other high schools, they have bowling, lacrosse, tennis, golf, swimming. Do you cover all of those sports? Or are you focused more on the high profile sports like football, basketball, volleyball. So this past year, I actually just did the main three sports I Gorman, which are football, basketball, baseball. And this year, next week, actually, I'm gonna go to a few women's soccer games, and

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a bunch of the different coaches that Gorman have asked me to stop by and cover one or two of the games. Yeah. So it's really exciting. Yeah. And I think with you going through the game, obviously, you post everything on social media, it would get more people drawn to those sports that get probably less attention in the school. Yeah. Especially since it's such a big football school. Right? Yeah. Speaking of football, this season, of course, has been different for you than last. I understand that you've been traveling with the team this year. Tell me how that came to be in what are some of the experiences that you've had from traveling the team. So this past year, I have just been so incredibly grateful that Coach Brown or the head football coach, kind of presented the idea to the administration, and my broadcast teacher, a part of BG TV, our school's television program, the administration, and my broadcast teacher just kind of pushed me towards that. Just being able to travel with the team. And I've had such amazing experiences on the trips. And it really shows the team's personality. I stayed with the cheerleaders. But it really, it really is a great way to see how the team bonds outside of the field because you can only see them so much in school and on the field. So it's such a cool dynamic to see. Yeah.

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I've seen your reporting on Instagram, and they're quite popular. They get a lot of attention. is reporting something that you want to carry into college and make a career out of or is it more of a high school gig? Yeah, so I this is what I want to this is what I want to dive. Yeah, I want to go to a successful

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television broadcast program in the South. I think that the southern like football traditions are so much fun and how everyone gets so dressed up.

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So that's the dream is to go school, somewhere in the south and go Fox Sports or ESPN, you have any schools in mind? I really, personally, I really like Auburn right now. I've heard really good things. Yeah. What about you? Because I know you do. Obviously you do this, and it's really successful right now. So where do you want to take it? Mom, my biggest goal would be to take this to USC. I've wanted to go to USC since I was a young kid. And when I moved out here to Las Vegas, it became more of a positive

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ability. So you know, my parents are always stressing to make sure I'm staying on top of my grades and make sure I'm involved in extracurriculars, just so that, you know, I'm building a good profile for myself to get into the college that I want to go to, because obviously, it's a tough school to get into. And it has this esteemed media program. So I think, with my podcasts, and you know, this is also what I want to carry out for the rest of my life. I think it would be a great school for me to attend.

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To further my career as a media personality. Agreed. And have you had any, like any mentors thus far, or anyone who's really, like encouraged you to start building your profile? Well, it's been my parents.

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They are my biggest mentors, they pushed me to,

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not only with my podcast, but in every aspect of life, they pushed me to be the best version of myself. And I don't know if I could say that I have had mentors, so to speak in every aspect, like personal and sports and all of that, except for my parents, but in you know, sports, my coaches have been great mentors for me, I had a coach named lefty more. Back in Iowa, we keep in touch still, he's been a great mentor for me. Awesome.

Unknown Speaker 6:15
back a little while ago, Caitlin Clark was one of those people who really kept me going and her family, her father, and they really liked the idea of my podcast, and they kind of pushed me to keep this thing going for a while. So that's amazing. Yeah. So I think those would be the people that I would say, are the mentors that I've had. Yeah.

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Shifting gears a little bit.

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Balancing volleyball, and sideline reporting has to be a pretty difficult task. So how do you manage your time with practices and games while also excelling in the field of reporting? So this year, I actually transitioned from club volleyball and school volleyball to sand volleyball. So it's a bit of a different dynamic. It's a team sport against just me and my sand partner. So it's been a strange transition. But I did this to focus on what I want to do, which is reporting and broadcast journalism.

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But last year, I was balancing a bit of a juggling act with school volleyball and club volleyball and reporting. And I, I, a lot of the days of the week had a conflict with both. And so

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it made different people mad every time I chose one or the other. So this year, I just decided, I, this is what I wanted. And I want to focus on it. Yeah. So that's really impressive. I think it's a great opportunity for you and you're very talented, and you do a great job with it. So you too, and how I know you play basketball, too. So how do you bounce it? Oh, man. It's tough, because I want to go to my practices all the time. And I want to be in my games. But at the same time, you know, if I have a, if I have an interview with anyone, I have to spend the requisite amount of time preparing for that interview. Yeah, I spend hours just doing my research and formulating questions, like making sure that this interview is going to be the peak performance. I don't want anything less than peak performance. So me, I want to prioritize my podcast, just like you want to prioritize your reporting. But at the same time, I'm not ready to let basketball yet

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Istanbul, but I realized that the biggest opportunity for my future is in media, you know, I'm okay with the basketball, but I'm not. You know, Jackson Richardson are some of the guys who you have covered in your reporting. I'm not that caliber of a player. So yeah, this, this media and podcasting, this is really my passion. It's what I love to do. So I think if it had to become between the two, I'm gonna end up choosing Yeah, my podcast. Yeah.

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You kind of read my mind with my next question. If it was, have you ever felt conflicted between being a player and a reporter, especially covering your own games in sport? Yeah. So there, there are a few times or there were a few times when I was conflicted. And I most of the time, when my coaches were aware of the fact that this is kind of the path that I want to go, so they were very understanding which I'm so grateful for the fact that there was some wiggle room. But at the end of the day, reporting is just what I wanted to do. Right. So it just worked out for the better honestly. Yeah. Yeah.

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Well, your volleyball team did have a great season last year, I believe you were 13 and one, something like that. Yeah. That's a very great record. I want to ask the reporter in you, what do you think led to your team having that level of success? So I was on JV last year, and we it was a team that was just

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Me and my friends. So obviously we had the best bonding in our experience was great, but the varsity team, their bond is on a different level. And they have some of the highest athletes, as you know, like Ashley Duckworth, the Thompson sisters and Ayanna Watson.

Unknown Speaker 10:17
So little led by coach, nunley and just the like rigorous practices every day. It's like three hour practices. And wow, yeah, maybe not that long, but something like that. And it's like it sometimes. Yeah, for sure. And the conditioning, it really shows on the court. So I think just everyone's dedication to everyone's so dedicated to that team. And I think that's really impressive as an outsider to watch. Yeah, that's, that's amazing. Speaking of volleyball, I know you're transitioning to sand volleyball now. But I will ask, where did you get your start playing volleyball? Did you start? When you got to Gorman playing club? Where did you start? How did your volleyball journey began? So I have two little sisters, and the three of us all were raised the same way. We were all raised as soccer girls. So my dad instantly as soon as we turned three, we were placed on a soccer field and given a ball and just told the shoot the ball. So I actually played soccer for 10 years. Oh, wow. Yeah, I stopped when I was in sixth or seventh grade. And that's what I knew. That's what I grew up on. And along the way, I think it was third grade. One of my best friends, Hannah, who you know, our class. Yeah, she was actually the one who invited me to join her NYS team. And from there, I just wanted to keep going on to the next level of volleyball. And I changed clubs trained with different coaches did some privates. And

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along the way, obviously, it's a team sport, you know, this from basketball, you learn so much, you learn so much about time management, about communication, just about the different aspects of what it takes to make,

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like, a really strong end product, which is a win. Yeah, absolutely. And I just really thankful, honestly, that I went through that whole experience. And obviously now I'm on a different kind of experience. Yeah. But

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I think you can kind of relate to that. Yeah, right. Yeah. I mean, I got my start with basketball. When I was six, five or six. I told this story when I had Jackson Richardson on the show, yeah. And I got my start, because I was at school, you know, just trying to have fun. And a girl kicked me off the court because I wasn't good. And her name was Delia, and she kicked me off the court because I wasn't a good player. So I, you know, went to my dad and told him that I wanted to start trading to be a basketball player. So I and from there, you know, it just carried on. And, you know, I still play to this day, but

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I really, I am also grateful for my opportunity. A lot of my training has been focused on just me and not as much the team aspect of

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I realized at a younger age, especially with AAU, you have to not only be a good teammate, but you have to be able to go get it done yourself in basketball sometimes.

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And, you know, spending time with that. And by the time I hit nine, my podcast, I realized I was at a crossroads, especially this year, when k u and v gave me the opportunity to come and restart my podcast, I realized I was at a major crossroads in my life. And I was either going to be fully dedicated to one thing or fully dedicated to the other and I couldn't try to,

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to half effort, both things like so. I'm

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it's a tough decision, obviously. Yeah. But I am leaning towards my podcast just because I know, I've you know, I've heard people talk about it. And this is something I can take a long way. And I'm not the tallest guy in the world. I'm not the most athletic guy in the world. So basketball, I know it's not gonna last forever. And you know, of course, injuries happen and all that stuff. You can't you can't play basketball forever. But this is something that I can really do with my life. So that's that's kind of why I'm leaning towards my podcast. But yeah, I started in basketball was because I lost to a girl. That's so funny. That's so funny. Yeah. I'm having conducted a few interviews myself. I know firsthand, things definitely don't always go as planned. Have you had any of those behind the scenes moments where your guests couldn't quite get the point they wanted to get across are in other words, that have you had any bloopers that you can share with us from your interviews? I mean, there's bloopers every single time.

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But I don't do my interviews live. So if if I stutter or if the players don't like their response, then we always just press record

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wrote again and just started over. But most of the time I give them a little bit of a heads up and a little bit of time to look over the questions. I don't just blindside them, because I know that their answers are going to be so much more like thoughtful and thought out than if I just give them to them on the spot, which that's that's something that the next level will do, though. So if I did start doing that, it would only prepare them for the next level.

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But I do ask a fun question at the end of all my interviews, and usually, there are some really interesting answers.

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Like, for example, um, do you know Xander ruderal. Yes, yeah, I asked him for his fun question, what he would do if he saw an alien? Oh, no. And he said he would dissect it.

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Just a random and it gives you a little bit of insight to their personality. Yeah, it's always great to have those lighthearted moments. In interviews, you know, for sure, for sure. And with my podcast, something that we do is like a little rapid fire. And I'll ask, I'll ask my guest. A few questions that

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just quick answers quick questions. So I do that towards the end of my podcasts. And I think, okay, okay. You're up for that. I can't tell me ready. I can't tell you what the question is. Okay.

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All right. I'm following up with that question, who have been some of the most interesting people that you have interviewed so far in your time as a reporter. So obviously, being a student at Bishop Gorman, we're exposed and we're surrounded with some some of the best athletes in the nation. And so I just think it's such an incredible opportunity for us to just talk with them and me being able to interview them. It's such a unique experience. But I've been to a couple opportunity. I've been through a couple opportunities where I've met some NFL players and I've gotten to interview some NFL players. Recently, I talked with Josh Jacobs. Yeah, so the Raiders, and previously I've talked to as a Darius Smith, okay, he plays on the Vikings.

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And I also got to talk with

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recent Browns recruits.

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Darien Dorian Thompson Robinson. Oh, yeah. Those Those are very impressive. Yeah.

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So with the increasing importance of social media and sports, how do you how important do you think it is for student athletes to be comfortable doing on camera interviews and getting that, you know, on camera exposure, I feel like it's only going to increase in importance. And these athletes, obviously, are going to go on to D one programs and some, probably even the NFL or the NBA, some really important athletes. And I just think that the more practice they have now, the better they become. And that's what,

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like I said, is just going to increase in importance, especially those who are going to have like commentators like in their face or reporters in their face. So I think it's really great practice for anybody.

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What's up everybody? I'm Greg and Prescott and among them Mike with Sutton stuff. We're talking about up on reporting, high school sports and more. So Sutton, fun question. If you could interview any athlete past, their present does not have to be a high school athlete. Who would it be and why? It would have to be Julie Ertz. Julie Ertz. Yes. Okay. And the reason behind this is because, like I said, I played soccer for 10 years of my life. So soccer has a really huge importance in my life.

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She's on the US women's national soccer team. Yeah. And I remember watching one of the World Cups, and just being so just drawn in by her energy. She plays with such a dedication. I have never seen it. I had never seen it before. And just her love of the sport, her love for her teammates. It just like her love for the game. It just really made me so inspired, even though I wasn't even playing soccer at the time. But I would just love to talk with her about how she got to where she is. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Anyone that you would Oh, man. There's a few but I think at the top of the list, it would have to be Kobe Bryant

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for a number of reasons. Number one, he's, he's one of my idols as coming up as a basketball player in a basketball family. You understand the importance of Kobe Bryant to the game of basketball, and not only that, but um, he did this podcast called detail and in that he, you know, went through some plays in basketball and

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down to most of them

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minut details things that the regular eye just would not catch in a basketball game. And he went over those things and explain them for everyone to hear. So not just from a basketball perspective, but from a podcast perspective as well. You know, Kobe is someone that I would have loved to have the opportunity to speak with an interview and have on my show, because of his detailed podcast and because of his successful basketball career. So I'd say my answer would be Kobe Bryant, that's a pretty great answer.

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So if it has How has being an athlete influenced the way that you approach your reporting? Does it give you a unique perspective, it definitely does. And being a student athlete, and reporting just made me realize the importance of time management, and how much work really goes into that small amount of really playing and putting on that show for the audience.

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And it just makes me respect the players so much more. Just the I know how much effort goes into that. And it just amazes me, just amazes me how much they can do. Absolutely, yeah. So in your mind, how important is the role of sports journalism and reporting in shaping the culture and spirit of school?

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I think it's really important in shaping. Like, for example, the Gorman community. Obviously, Gorman is a very sports oriented school. But I think the coverage just gives the players a different look. Yeah, like I said, the fun questions, you get to see their personality on the field, you get to see them their game faces on. And I think it's really important for the audience, because the audience really that's what they want to see. They want to see the real, the real players, right. Yeah, I think it's so important. Nice, nice. Um, so as a reporter yourself, you've been doing this for a couple of years now. What advice would you give to young athletes who want to dip their toes into sports journalism and or reporting,

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I would just tell them to go for it. Yeah, just step outside of your comfort zone. If you have a passion for something, or even if you're interested in something, just explore the topic, really, just try to kind of dip your feet in and go for it. That's my one thing that I was really introverted. Honestly, before I started doing this growing up, I didn't, I really just wanted to keep to myself. And stepping outside of the comfort zone was really important for me that these past few years. What about you? Have you noticed anything? Um, or Yeah, some advice I would give to someone who wants to get into this is, um, it's not always going to be easy. It's a big commitment, both with time and effort. It's a big commitment. So if you're willing to make that commitment, then you're going to reap the benefits of it. I think it's something great that if you have the interest in it, you should definitely

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think about, you know, taking action on that interest. Because, you know, it's offered me so many opportunities, and

Unknown Speaker 23:15
my life has completely changed. I'm like you I wasn't obviously, I wasn't always the most outgoing of people. You know, I wasn't super introverted as well, but I will not. I was never Mr. Life of the Party or anything. Yeah. That wasn't me, then it still is. But I've kind of come out of my shell a little bit since becoming a media personality. And I used to be quite timid when asking people if they wanted to come on to the show. Yeah. And as I kind of got into the flow of things, it's become just a lot easier talking to people and having those discussions about, you know, asking serious questions. Do you want to come on the show stuff like that, or just having conversations with people that you don't know, in general?

Unknown Speaker 24:04
So I think it's a great opportunity. And I would definitely suggest that if you have interest in it, then you should pursue it. But just be ready, because it is a commitment if you want to do it. Well. I agree. Yeah. That would be my advice. You and I have had conversations about possibly starting a podcast for Gorman. I think we just call one I call it BG roundtable. Some Yes. Something of that nature. So where do you where do you see this going? What do you want to do with this? So I think it would be a really cool opportunity. Gorman doesn't have anything like this. Yes. So I think it would be awesome if we just had, quite literally a table, a round table of different athletes from different sports, and we asked them about different topics. And we could even have the homecoming court this year on a roundtable make it fun.

Unknown Speaker 25:00
And, you know, I think it's just another way for the school to see another side of these. Yeah, absolutely. I completely agree. And if that were, if that discussion were ever to come to pass, I really think that

Unknown Speaker 25:13
I know, I'd of course be open to do it. So I think it was something really fun to do. It would be an awesome. All right, I'm gonna ask you a few quick questions. Okay.

Unknown Speaker 25:23
Are there any rituals or routines that you follow before a big game or an interview? I always I always make sure my hair is curled. My hair is curled, then it's going to be a good interview. Okay, yes.

Unknown Speaker 25:36
Who is the toughest opponent or team that you've ever faced in a volleyball match?

Unknown Speaker 25:42
Oh, that's a good one. I'm gonna have to say, actually, my, in my most recent sand tournament, it's gonna have to be Trinity Thompson and Hannah Pemberton because it was really a really mentally tough game. It was 100 degrees outside in the blaring heat, and we just needed to finish the game. Right? Yeah.

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Tell me about a time that something didn't go as planned in one of your reports. And how did you handle it?

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Um,

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hmm. I mean, it kind of happens a lot where it doesn't go the way it's planned. But I feel like that's, that's the way it should go. Yeah, you know what I mean, I always practice, I always practice my questions with my parents on Thursday nights.

Unknown Speaker 26:28
And obviously, they're going to have their own unique answers their own unique fun answers. And I think that just says kind of who, who, what kind of a person they are. Yeah. And it gives them personality. Alright. My last question for you is reflecting us your experience, reflecting on your experiences. So far, what has been your biggest takeaway, both as a high school athlete and as a reporter?

Unknown Speaker 26:52
I would have to say that dedication, if you are really passionate about something, and if you're really dedicated to something it's going to show in your work. And like you said, I agree, good things take a lot of work. Yeah. And obviously, this is super hard and competitive.

Unknown Speaker 27:13
Like, yeah, field, you know what I mean. But if you're really passionate about something, I think that you can make your way to the top and that's what I've heard, too. Yeah. So absolutely. Yeah. Well, Sutton, it's been a pleasure having you on the show. Thank you for coming. Thank you so much for having me today. You can check out Sutton's reporting on Instagram at Sutton underscore sideline reporting. Thank you for tuning into this episode of sports prep live. I'm Greg and Prescott and as always, have a great day everyone. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of sports prep live. I'm grading Prescott and don't forget to catch all of our episodes on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to follow us on Instagram or Twitter at sports rep LA. Thank you

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